Pondering
by Rickashay
Summary: Sess/Rin no relationship, Sessmom/Inupapa. Having given Meido Zangetsuha to Inuyasha, it was the perfect time to ponder his father's motives. Rin gives Tenseiga back. Warning Language. One-shot.


Disclaimer I do not own Inuyasha

Warnings: Some language, and some Sessmom and Inu no Taisho, so hopefully that won't bother anyone.

Sora means Sky in Japanese.

Flashbacks are indented like this: _Indented._

A/N Due to some complaints, I decided I would write my own version of when Rin gave back Tenseiga to Sesshomaru. For those that haven't watched the next episode of Inuyasha the final act, I suggest you watch it and then come back here. I'm also going to add in a few things that bothered me that they attached to the episode. This isn't based on the third movie Swords of an Honorable Ruler where you see Inu no Taisho racing off to rescue Izayoi. I am using the term 'bitch' as if it was the same as alpha only it's meant for the head female. I would like to thank everyone that read this story and no, this won't be continued. This is an experiment in my writing to see if I can do something slightly different than what I expect from myself. Enjoy and I hope this is fine with you.

When the sun no longer shone and the usual pace of the humans slowed. Sesshomaru decided to set up camp in the field. Stars twinkled, reminding Sesshomaru of his father whose eyes never stopped sparkling with humor or vehemence.

Considering the fact that he lost his technique, Meido Zangetsuha to Inuyasha, it would be the perfect time to contemplate his father's motives as well as actions.

Inu no Taisho had a great many of enemies during his ruling. The other lords from other lands and the different youkai that no longer had territory, all were brought down by the blade of Tessaiga. For those that saw the sword and lived, were in awe, what they didn't know was that a meager hanyou would wield the power. Not Sesshomaru.

His father never gave him any indication of what he would get when his great father would pass. Sesshomaru assumed that it would be Tessaiga since his father didn't have anything of importance to give him. He knew of his conquest for power. He knew that deep within Sesshomaru's heart he was seeking the missing piece. His father didn't understand him, and in return Sesshomaru didn't understand Inu no Taisho.

Throughout time Sesshomaru had seen many defeats that his father dealt. He had seen the final battle between Ryuukotsusei and his esteemed father. Though his father was too busy thinking about the battle, Sesshomaru was sure that he didn't notice his son's scent lingering near. He watched of course, knowing quite well that it was a pointless attempt at defeating the dragon that had grown in both power and strength.

Even when Inu no Taisho struggled to hold his own against the formidable foe, Sesshomaru would not interfere in the battle. He, Sesshomaru, didn't like any type of interference with his own less dangerous battles. His father would not expect him to intrude. He would only expect him to give the news of his death to the human woman and his youkai bitch.

_"Errr…" Inu no Taisho growled as Ryuukotsusei's steel like skin didn't even scratch when he released Tessaiga's power._

_An ominous chuckle rumbled throughout the long body of the dragon. A large claw crashed down toward Inu no Taisho. He blocked almost effortlessly. Unfortunately he was paying attention to the claw instead of the lightening forming in the mouth of Ryuukotsusei._

_A flash of electricity temporally blinded Sesshomaru's view. His father couldn't possible survive a direct attack from the lightening. His father may be strong, but lightening was a rare technique among dragons to inherit, perhaps even more rare than poison with Inuyoukai._

_Once the light cleared, he finally saw what he already knew. His father had transformed at the last second, embedding a claw into the chest of his opponent, piercing the heart. His father suffered numerous wounds to his chest and side. The lightening still surrounded him, making sure that the deed was done and fulfilled. Death was at his doorstep._

_Movement that Inu no Taisho made caused electricity to spread, creating more wounds and widened the other injuries. He gasped, coughed, and spit up blood. He was smiling, but it was strained and bitter. This was not the proud father that stood tall against all enemies. He was the weak, helpless father that never stood a chance with fate._

_His mother appeared from the sidelines, alerting Sesshomaru when she emerged from the forest in her Inu form. A proud, stoic, and undeniably beautiful Inuyoukai with the pure blood to match her appearance, looked over the damage, the chuckling Ryuukotsusei, and her dying husband. She gave a soft hum and a sniff of disdain._

_When the gold light appeared from the claw, surrounding Ryuukotsusei's body into a slight mist, the chuckling stopped along with the labored breathing. Ryuukotsusei's fate was as sealed as his father's._

_Sesshomaru watched as his mother laid beside Inu no Taisho. There was the usual bored expression, but it was the first time that Sesshomaru would remember his mother showing any concern for another youkai other than her self. If he did remember when he was younger, he would have been sorely mistaken. But with such a long life, youkai tended to forget things that weren't important._

_His father had shown no weakness in front of his mother or him for the longest of time. But deep inside, Sesshomaru knew his father couldn't be all powerful, was there even such a thing? If there was, Sesshomaru was sure he would achieve it. He didn't realize the more he grew the older his father became, until, before he knew it, Inu no Taisho was well passed his prime._

_Sesshomaru never experienced Inu no Taisho's power in his heyday. He wasn't even born during that time. His mother wasn't his wife but a mere student learning the ways of the Inuyoukai. His father himself still had much to learn and could still grow in power. But those times were well passed them, and there was no need lingering on the past._

_Sesshomaru never saw the true power his father was capable of. Instead he saw the battles that were easy wins and the might of his powerful sword. He often wondered how his father could be so powerful without having defeated half his enemies. It brought speculation to Sesshomaru's mind that his father wasn't as powerful as he wished._

_With his mother supporting most of Inu no Taisho's weight, he listened to the dimming heartbeat of his father. He was dying. Even that thought made Sesshomaru question his father's strength. Generations of Inuyoukai all were at the top of the food chain; dragons, bats, and any other youkai were always below them. With the defeat of his father, who could stand against his enemies and win? The thought that he was dying from a jealous dragon made Sesshomaru think only one thing:_

_His father was weak._

The statement stuck in his head the first time he saw his mother and father duel. It was one of the rare moments he remembered.

_His mother hadn't been feeling well for the last few days. Often he wondered why she would leave the building for a midnight stroll. Or when she abandoned her son in the garden and opted to race in the clouds instead. Her hair would move with the wind. Her head tilted upwards as she soared. Her pace was a rhythm as she galloped. She didn't look back, but kept her back straight as she moved with as much grace as was accustomed in her posture._

_A roar sounded from within the Sora Shiro. His father's voice drifted toward them as he burst through the entrance and joined his bitch. The height difference made Sesshomaru's eyes grow wide, but the real reason for Sesshomaru's wonderment was the raw power illuminating from their bodies. He never feared his father or his mother, until he realized how much stronger they were. He couldn't imagine them actually fighting side-by-side. They would be unstoppable, and Sesshomaru inherited all their power, plus more._

_She answered his call with her own purr like howl. They continued to jump inside the clouds, occasionally looking back to make sure the other followed. They played peek-a-boo whenever they had a chance to hide and nipped at each others heels. They looked more like Inu pups at that moment, and it was quite disconcerting how changed his mother was._

_He had seen his father act foolishly, but those were the times when he was as drunk as an Inu could be. Which were more times than Sesshomaru could count to or remember. His father was rather fond of sake. It helped that both his buddies enjoyed the same hobby as him._

_He had seen his mother drunk only once, and that was mainly his father's fault. He insisted she had a drink, but instead she had one too many. Though it did cause amusing gossip for decades and a few inside jokes his parents knew. They were way too confusing for the mind of a ten year old. When he thought back on those little jokes, it would take all his self control not to blush._

_After watching them continuously play with each other, Sesshomaru had finally gotten bored enough to leave for the dojo. It was the perfect moment to leave, for both Inu no Taisho and his bitch decided to leave the clouds to spend their quality time on earth._

_It was nearly nightfall when they finally decided coming back. They both looked a little happier, his mother looked a little bit less pale than before and his father had this weird grin on his face that was probably permanently attached for he never made an appearance without it. Inu no Taisho had let his arm slide around her shoulders, staking his claim even though everyone within smelling distance knew that they were mated._

_Inuyoukai could mate with more than one female or male when they wanted to. But the correct term for the main wife was bitch. Even though humans found this assaulting, the Inu clans found it to be an honor. Most Inu alphas had a mate already, and they couldn't mark another female or male. They could sleep with them, but only if one of the two dies was it possible to mark another, and even that was rare considering the fact they still felt the full force of the bond they had. Since youkai lived such a long time, Inuyoukai and other youkai were picky who they choose for a bitch, and usually it was well into their older years when they finally settle with one. Inu no Taisho was no exception._

_With both of them side-by-side entering the dojo, all the occupants in the room bowed and murmured a greeting to their lord and lady. As they passed the teachers and young soldiers training for the army, they gave nods to the old and made eye contact with the young. When they saw the piercing molted golden eyes, they immediately knew not to bask in their glory. For such a gaze was hard to hold._

_When they finally got to Sesshomaru, they both still had a more pleasant expression than usual. He raised a slim eyebrow, and diverted his attention back to his sensei. They ignored being passed off as uninteresting, Inu lady went to a corner to wait. Inu no Taisho however, stood only feet away from Sesshomaru and watched the careful instructions and techniques the sensei gave._

_Inu no Taisho showed his emotions easily, when he was displeased, when he was happy, and when he was in a good mood but didn't want to be disturbed. He also had the puppy love stroke face whenever he was drunk. This time he took every opportunity to observe his son's footing, correcting when needed, and how he handled a sword. It made the sensei nervous, but he understood that Inu no Taisho had more experience with fighting than him, and was quite accepting being forgotten as Inu no Taisho focused all his energy in correcting his son._

_"I supposed Inu no Taisho. You wouldn't consider dueling with your fair wife?" An arrogant soldier asked. He stepped forward and nodded to Inu no Taisho's wife. If Sesshomaru remembered correctly, his name was Shishinki and he was an ogre youkai from the south, odd wasn't it that most of his father's enemies came from traitors?_

_"I'm think I'm too old to duel with **my** Inu lady." Inu no Taisho's angry expression and raising youki stuck in Sesshomaru's memory. Shishinki smiled and turned to the Inu lady who regarded him rather coolly._

_"Don't you wish to challenge Inu no Taisho," when he said this he practically spat out the title. "It would be the best way for Sesshomaru to learn to handle a sword." He cast a glance to Inu no Taisho who was gripping the sword until his knuckles turned white._

_"This is hardly a place for us to spar. Not enough space." For some reason this made his father's eyes sparkle. Others that were old enough to remember the continuous lessons his parents took, smiled and nodded in agreement. Sesshomaru had never seen Inu lady fight, must less his father fighting with her. The thought was plain ridiculous to consider._

_"The clouds would be the perfect place for a little fighting battle." An old servant, who was assigned to wait on the soldiers and polish the swords and sheaths, suggested. It was settled._

_With the servants and soldiers plus the visiting lords surrounded them, the fight began. When both were armed and prepared, with unimaginable speed, they charged. The loud __**CLINK** of the swords pounded in Sesshomaru's head. Mettle against mettle met a second time with a fierce __**BANG**. Inu Lady easily blocked the well aimed jab toward her shoulder, his father fearing not the possibility of wounding her. She countered the attack and grazed his arm with the side of her sword. He grabbed her foot as she sped past him, bringing her body down with a resounding __**THUMP** that made the audience wince._

_"The Inu Lady has got to be beat." Someone murmured in the crowd._

_"They never should have fought when she is in this __delicate situation." Another said._

_With brutal precision, they smelled the coppery scent of blood. Some gasped, others held their breath, and some gave victorious glances. Inu Lady had stuck a blow to his leg, which now painted the white hakama crimson. They all noticed the shattered armor that the Inu Lady wore, Inu no Taisho had given a blow that was even worse than the scratch that she dealt. For it left her unprotected from possible injuries toward her chest._

_"He has her beat." As a soldier said this, the Inu Lady charged forward. This time however, there was no loud bang, thump, or clink. Instead they all heard the pained howl coming from their leader. She had tackled him without the sword, but with brute strength._

_He lay underneath her, pinned down with her body weight. She had discarded her sword, which was now a few feet away from them. He had an advantage, he had a sword, he had more stamina, and she was breathing unevenly. He suppressed a grin, flipped her over, and placed the tip of the sword at her neck. She smiled, two dainty fangs peaking at him as he realized his mistake._

_"I see that your skills have been lacking." He smirked and leaned forward._

_"I hope my __other skills have not been lacking." He said aloud. Sesshomaru noticed that he received disapproving looks and amused expressions. His mother smiled, and freed one of her knees. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in surprised when Inu no Taisho crumbled over with a groan. His mother had kneed his father in the gut, temporarily distracting Inu no Taisho from the fight._

_She twisted her body out of his grasp. His arm thrown around her waist after recovering partly, trying to make sure she didn't escape from her opponent. A useless attempt. She leaped into the air, grabbing her sword as she did so. He stirred, opened his eyes and smiled before rolling over and getting into a fighting stance._

_"I hope she knows what she's doing." An old servant said. He had served for generations under Inu no Taisho and his family. He was standing beside Sesshomaru, who was beginning to get bored._

_Time seemed to be at a stand-still, both hesitating to make the next move. He raised his sword, ready for the possible attack as she wiped a sweaty palm against the skirt of her kimono. Inu no Taisho's own hands were sweaty against the hilt of the training sword. He wondered how this fight would go if they were using their real sword, Tessaiga and Zangsutou, a sword made from his own fang and a wedding gift for his wife._

_She raised her sword. He copied her movement. Together, their swords crashed. A __**CLANK **thundered throughout the area. Colors rose, both using their youki against each other. She blocked her right before lunging with her sword to his left. He blocked and swiped at her feet. She jumped away. And so the fight when on as both tried outsmarting each other._

_Their breathing was coming in short gasps, though Inu lady seemed to be struggling less against her husband than he with her. They were using their natural youkai abilities now, his poison whip against the thin white line of fire. Their swords were nearly useless by being melted, unrecognizable as the training swords._

_The green poison whip whipped past her as she bolted toward him, avoiding the green acid as best as she could. She used her own white whip and made a circle around Inu no Taisho. He let it touch his boots, but remained uncharacteristically unreadable. She smiled as the fire rose above his head before he stepped from out of the circle. She sped past the audience, faster than a speeding bullet, the Inu Lady crashed into his chest._

_Her hand was placed on his neck, her other hand holding his arm down. Her legs stopped him from flipping her over with his legs, intertwining them together. Her body was lying on top of his, using her weight against him._

The great Inu no Taisho was beat. His father was beat. Could it be that his mother was stronger than Inu no Taisho? Could it be that his father was so weak as to get beaten? The weak perished. The weak were beaten. His father had done both.

Sesshomaru bullied his brother to make sure he became stronger, to be stronger than Inu no Taisho and stronger than the humans that constantly beat him when he was a child. He needed to be strong to survive, for the unwanted species of hanyou, they had to be strong.

The soft footsteps of a human child paddled toward him, only to stop at his side and wait for him to speak. He inclined his head in Rin's direction, an encouragement to speak. In her hand she held his sword, the accursed sword that no longer could be of use. Tenseiga.

"Go set up camp, Rin." Sesshomaru didn't want to hear anything she said. He knew that she would ask him to take it again, to reconsider abandoning it entirely. He wouldn't admit it, but he felt the loss of a companion at his hip, the loss of a sword. She snuggled against him, not bothering to notice the curious glances of their companions who were still setting up camp and waiting for some action on his part.

"Sesshomaru-sama, do you want your sword?" Rin asked. Her arms wrapped protectively around it.

"I have no attachment to such a sword." His words were clipped. He used a tone that was never directed toward Rin. He paused, listening to the child's heartbeat as she laid her small head against his ribs.

"No attachment?" her voice sounded questioning, a soft smile upon her lips as she tilted her head upwards to look into his eyes. He saw tears.

Disturbed by the odd emotion she was showing, an emotion he only saw when Jaken was in physical pain. He couldn't smell blood. He couldn't smell any discomfort in her scent. He couldn't smell any bruises. The reason behind the tears puzzled him.

"This Sesshomaru has no attachment to something that has never helped me." She touched the worn hilt of the sword, tracing the blade with her finger and knowing that it wouldn't harm her. She stopped and looked up at him.

"Rin was brought to Sesshomaru with this sword, do you like me?" Rin asked so softly he wouldn't have been able to hear her if not for the close proximity between the two of them.

"It is the sword that cannot cut, how can it be useful to me?" Sesshomaru responded, pondering her question even though if he knew the answer, he wouldn't have told her. She grabbed the empty sleeve, her fingers running through the silk fabric.

She didn't speak much, but instead continued leaning against him. Her weary expression changed to peacefulness. Her breathing deepened, and even in sleep, she held Tenseiga tightly against her.

Sesshomaru wouldn't move her if she was asleep. If she slept next to him, his scent would be all over her and her scent on him. That certainly wasn't allowed. There were two sets of eyes staring at them curiously but not daring to speak. She shifted and smiled, digging her head in his armor once again.

Tenseiga fell from her arms into his lap. The sword had a mind of its own. He was certain of it.

_Pulse…_

_Pulse…_

_Pulse…_

He gripped the hilt and placed it back where it belonged. At his side tied to his sash. He glanced back at Rin, knowing that this was what she wanted.

The rest of the camp went back to sleep, none bold enough to question the scene that went on. Even the next day no one talked about it.

_Perhaps, Tenseiga, you will be of use._

A/N Thanks for reading. I hope none of the characters were OOC. I have only once done a battle, so I hope that was okay. I did a lot of Sessmom and Inu no Taisho. I honestly didn't mean to do that. Hopefully you liked it. Thanks.


End file.
